Halki seminary

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The Halki seminary ( Heybeliada, Istanbul) (Greek Θεολογική Σχολή Χάλκης, also transcribed Halki ) was until its closure by the Turkish state in 1971, the most important Christian Theological College of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Opel. The building of the university is located on Heybeliada ( Halki ), one of the Princes' Islands in the Marmara Sea.

The seminary building was built next to the ruins of the monastery of the Holy Trinity, which was founded by Photius I, Patriarch of Constantinople 858-861 and 878-886 Opel. In 1844 the Patriarch Germanos IV dedicated the monastery into a theological college. The inauguration took place on 23 September 1844. All buildings except the chapel were destroyed by an earthquake in June 1894 and later rebuilt by the architect Periklis Fotiadis, to be inaugurated in October 1896. A major renovation took place in the 1950s.

Many Orthodox scholars, theologians, bishops and patriarchs, including Bartholomew I, have completed their studies at Halki. Some are buried on the school grounds.

Closure of the seminar and international criticism

In 1971 the seminary was closed by a Turkish law which prohibits the operation of private universities. In 1998 was enacted by the Turkish State to dissolve the trustee company of Halki. After international criticism, that decision was reversed. In 1999, U.S. President Bill Clinton visited Halki and called on the Turkish President Suleyman Demirel in to leave open the university again. In October 1998, the Senate and House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress have adopted resolutions in which the reopening of Halki was supported. The European Union has set in the accession negotiations with Turkey, the issue of reopening of the college in relation to obstacles to the freedom of religion of the Christians in Turkey on the list of demands to the candidate Republic of Turkey.

The International Society for Human Rights criticized the closure of the seminar and sees it as an obstacle to EU accession of the Republic of Turkey.

Turkey is striving to improve the legal situation of religious minorities in the country. With the appointment of the Metropolitan of Bursa, Elpidophoros Lambrinidis the new abbot of Holy Trinity Monastery on Halki, the reopening of the university is emerging.

In January, 2013, reported the Turkish newspaper Today's Zaman that the Turkish Council of Foundations returned 190 acres of land to the foundation of the monastery of the Holy Trinity. Said Foundation is the owner of the Seminary of Halki. Most of this land is located around the site of the seminar.